Automatic hammer.



NN m E W M R. B w f A. sTRoMDAHL. AUTOMATIC HAMMER. tLPPL-IGATION FILED AFR 18 1903 UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW STROMDAHL, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO AUTOMATIC HAMMER COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A COR- PORATION OF NEW' ERSEY.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1905.

Application tiled April 18, 1903. Serial No. 153,217.

To L7/Z whom, it' may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW STROMDAHL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Hammers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tack-driving mechanisms in general, but particularly to mechanisms of this class that are controlled and operated by hand-such, for example, as automatic hammers.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved tack-driving mechanism, and particularly one adapted for embodiment in an automatic hammer.

The heads of hammers of the class to which my invention may be applied usually comprise two main parts or members arranged to move relatively to a limited extent, one of said members being fixed to the hammer-handle. The fixed member is usually provided with a tack-driver in the shape of a plunger arranged to traverse a tack passage provided on one or the other of said members, and when the two members are moved relatively in one direction by striking the hammer onto an object the plunger drives the tack out of the tack-passage into the object struck by the hammer-head. The relative movement of the two members occurring during the operation of the hammer is utilized also to feed the tacks successively from a supply carried by the handle into the tack-passage in position to be engaged by the plunger when the latter makes its driving stroke. The ordinary manner in which a hammer is handled and used makes it necessary to provide means to prevent the displacement of the tack after it has been fed into the tackpassage in front of the plunger and also to insure that but one tack be presented to the driver at a time.- Various constructions have heretofore been employed for securing these results. In my improved mechanism the tack passage-way is provided with a pair of yielding constrictions, and a shoulder is provided on the same member with the tack-driver adapted to feed the tacks past the first yielding constriction into position to be engaged by the plunger, which drives the tacks past the second constriction out of the passage-way and into the object struck by the hammer.

Herein I have shown my invention embodied in a hand-tacking tool the handle of which carries a hopper for holding a supply of tacks, and a novel feature of this embodiment of my invention consists in providing an arched tack-defiecting surface within the hopper arranged over the inner receiving end of the raceway, so that the boundings and reboundings of the tacks within the hopper, due to the impact of the hammer on the work or otherwise, will cause the tacks to strike on the arched surface and be deiiected onto the end of the raceway.

In the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate one form of my invention, Figure lis a side elevation of my improved hammer. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical lateral cross-section of the fixed member of the hammer-head. Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 3, showing also the movable member in cross-section. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse cross-section of the hammer-head. Fig. 6 is a vertical lateral cross-section of the hammer-head and movable member,showing thelatter extended; and

Fig. 7 is a detail showing the tack-raceway.

vI have shown my improvements as applied to a hand-lasting hammer or pincers, whereof A A are the grasping members, pivoted and jointed, as usual. By means of cheek-pieces b3 the tack-hopper B is secured to the pincerliandle A, the screws e, which secure the fixed member E of the hammer-head to the handle A, serving for this purpose. The tack-raceway C, provided with gathering-blades D, is secured to the handle A, passing through slots a a, provided for the purpose. A hood d and guard d2 cover the raceway C and assist in guiding tacks properly to the feeder F. The raceway C is curved, so as to lie against the side of the movable member G of the hammer at the lower end of the raceway. The tack-hopper B is made cylindrical, so that the upper side thereof forms an arched surface over the gathering-blades D, serving thus to deflect tacks the more readily upon the said blades.

The hammer-head consists in the main of a member E, fixed by screws e to the handle A, and a relatively movable member G, which is fitted to slide inthe chamber E3, Fig. 6, provided for the purpose in the fixed member E. A piston-guide G2, fast to the movable I to the latchH at 7b2, springs t and i pressing.

against the latches H and H, respectively, a

cam-blade Gr', which operates the tack-feeder F, presently to be described.

A plunger-passage M is formed in the slide G, which receives tacks as they are fed in successively and permits the relative movement of the plunger J therein.

The member E is transversely perforated to admit the shaft F of the tack-feeder F, Fig. 5. This shaft is provided with a stop or head F2, and a spring F3 constantly urges the feeder F toward the interior of the member E. The feeder-linger Fi stands opposite the aperture E4, Fig. 2, and the slot K in the slide-plate K. This slot is wide enough to ad-` mit a tack-shank, but not a tack-head. The cross-slot K2, Fig. 3, is of proper Width to admit a tack-head. The cam-blade G passes through the slot F5 in the feeder-shaft F'.

Fixed in the hole E2 in the member E is the plunger J. This plunger is provided at its lower end with a shoulder J and tackdriving end J2. The latches H Hare pressed toward the plunger J and when the latter is removed from the tack-passage M the latches form obstacles or constrictions in the passageway.

A catch L, provided with a hook'L, is pivoted on the hammer-handle and has a spring L2, which holds the hook L in the hole L3 in the slide G. When by the linger of the operator this hook is removed from the hole L3, the spring Gr4 asserts itself, and the slide G is projected from the member E as far as the stop G3 will permit. l When the slide G is in this position, Fig. 6, the cam-blade G' permits the feeder-spring 4F3 to draw the tackfeeder F inward, its linger F4 passing by the end of the raceway C and pushing the lowermost tack through the aperture E4 and th rough the slot K in the slide-plate K, the cross-slot K2 being at this juncture in line to admit the head of the tack. The tack is thus pushed into the slideway or passage and lies in the position 1 above the detaining constriction of the latch H, Fig. 6. At this part of the tackpassage, the latch H being' spring-pressed (7L and h) toward the opposite wall ofthe passageconstitutes the yielding tack-holdingconstriction or retarding part of the tack-passage, which will stop a tack falling through the passage, but allow the tack to pass when propelled by the driving-plunger. Now let the hammer be brought down upon the Work in hand. The shoulder J of the plungerJ catches the tack-head and forces the laf-ch H to yield for its passage. Then the tack is in position 2,.Figs. 4 and 6. Again lift the hammer, keeping the hook L released, as before. Another tack is fed in above the latch H and occupies position l, Fig. 6. Now strike a blow with the hammer. The tack in position 2, previously detained by the constriction of latch H, is driven past this latch, out of the passage M, and into the substance struck by the hammer. tion shown in Fig. 3, and a third tack (shown at 3) is in position waiting for the entrance to f the passageM to be opened to it. As the slide G is forced into the member E the cam-blade G moves the feeder F outward, so as to give the. lowermost tack in the raceway a chance Tacks introduced to f the hopper B by way of the door or cover to emerge therefrom.

lie on the inclined bottom b2, andas the hammer is agitated by the ordinary handling there- 0f shake about, are deflected by the arched top onto the blades D, and run down the raceway C.

The arrangement of successive constrictions in the tack-passage M and the positive feeding of tacks by the plunger-shoulder J insure the regular delivery of tacks to the plunger end J2 and prevent clogging of tacks in the interior of the hammer. Experience has proved that this automatic tack-feeding hammer will deliver tacks with regularity and certainty as fast as a man can drive them.

What I claim isl. A tack-driving mechanism comprising a slide made with a tack-passage provided with a tack-entrance at one side of the slide and near the inner end thereof, a member to which the slide is connected with provision for limited relative movement, said member carrying a tack-driving plunger projecting into the tack-passage and movable back and forth past the tack-entrance to and from the tack-exit of said passage; a hopper carried by the member; and a raceway connected at its upper end with the hopper and having its lower end fixed The slide Gr is then in the posiback and forth past the tack-entrance to and from the tack-exit of said passage; a hopper carried by the handle member; a raceway connected at its upper end with the hopper and having its lower end fixed in a position at one side of the slide to register' with the tack-entrance when the slide is in its projected position and the plunger is above said entrance, and means to control the discharge of the tacks from the lower end of the raceway through said entrance.

3. A tack-driving mechanism, comprising a slide made with a tack-passage provided with a yielding tack-holding constriction and with a tack-entrance at one side of the slide and above said constriction; a handle member to which the slide is connected with provision for limited relative movement, said handle member carrying a tack-driving plunger projecting into the tack-passage and movable back and forth past the tack-entrance to and from the tack-exit of said passage; a hopper carried by the handle member; a raceway connected at its upper end with the hopper and having its lower end fixed in a position at one side of the slide to register with the tack-entrance when the slide is in its projected position and the plunger is above said entrance.

4. A tack-driving mechanism, comprising a slide made with a tack-passage provided with a yielding tack-holding constriction and with a tack-entrance at one side of the slide and above said constriction; a handle member to which the slide is connected with provision for limited relative movement, said handle member carrying a tack-driving plunger projecting into the tack-passage and movable back and forth past the tack-entrance to and from the tack-exit of said passage; a hopper carried by the handle member; a raceway connected at its upper end with the hopper and having its lower end fixed in a position at one side of the slide to register with the tack-entrance when the slide is in its projected position and the plunger is above said entrance, and means to control the discharge of the tacks from the lower end of the raceway through said entrance.

5. A tack-driving mechanism, comprising a slide made with a tack-passage provided with a yielding tack-holding constrictionA and with a tack-entrance at one side of the slide and above said constriction; a handle member to which the slide is connected with provision for limited relative movement, said handle member carrying a tack-driving plunger projecting into the tack-passage and movable back and forth past the tack-entrance to and from the tack-exit of said passage; a hopper carried by the handle member; a raceway connected at its upper end with the hopper and having its lower end fixed in aposition at one side of the slide to register with the tack-entrance when the slide is in its projected position and the plunger is above said entrance; a feeder to control the discharge of tacks from the lower end of the raceway through said entrance, and means to operate the feeder.

6. A tack-driving mechanism comprising a slide made with a tack-passage provided with a yielding tack-holding constriction and with a tack-entrance at one side of the slide and above said constriction; a handle member to which the slide is connected with provision for limited relative movement, said handle v member carrying a tack-driving plunger projecting into the tack-passage and. movable back and forth past the tack-entrance to and from the tack-exit of said passage; a hopper carried by the handle member; a raceway connected at its upper end with the hopper and l having its lower end fixed in a position at one side of the slide to register with the tack-entrance when the slide is in its projected position and the plunger is above said'entrance; a feeder to control the discharge of tacks from the lower end of the raceway through said entrance, and means connecting the slide with the feeder to operate the latter.

7. A tack-driving' mechanism, comprising a slide made with a tack-passage provided with a yielding tack-holding constriction and with a tack-entrance at one side of the slide and above saidv constriction; a handle member to which the slide is connected with provision for limited relative movement, said handle member carrying a tack-driving plunger projecting into the tack-passage and movable back and forth past the tack-entrance to and from the tack-exit of said passage; va hopper carried by the handle member; a raceway connected at its upper end with the hopper and having its lower end fixed in a position at one side of the slide to register with the tack-entrance when the slide is 'in its projected position and the plunger is above said entrance; a slotted feeder carried by the handle member for controlling the discharge of the tacks from the lower end of the raceway. and a camblade on the slide engaging the slot of the feeder to operate the latter.

8. A tack-driving mechanism, comprising a slide made with a tack-passage provided with a yielding tack-holding constriction and with a tack-entrance at one side of the slide and above said constriction; a handle member to which the slide is connected with provision for limited relative movement, said handle member carrying a tack-driving plunger projecting into the tack-passage and movable back and forth past the tack-entrance to and from the tack-exit of said passage; a hopper carried by the handle member; a raceway connected at its upper end with the hopper and having its lower end fixed in a position at one side of the slide to register with the tack-entrance when the slide is in its projected position and the plunger is above said entrance;

a slotted spring-pressed feeder carried by the handle member for controlling the discharge of tacks from the lower end of the raeeway through said entrance, and a cam-blade on the slide engaging the slot of the feeder to operate the latter when the slide is reciprocated.

Signed by rne at Boston, Suiiolk county, Massachusetts, this 3d day of April, 1903.

ANDREW STROMDAHL.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR F. RANDALL, JOSEPHINE H. RYAN. 

